Updated 1 week ago
October 30, 1968 – October 3, 2021
NYC video projectionist – Mojo Video Tech, died of COVID – Facebook Page – Website – ISF
Industry Acclaim
From VJ Bookling:
“Doctor Mojo is a visual artist and technician based in New York City, he is the owner of Mojo Video Tech Inc which operates a digital media production studio in Brooklyn, NYC. As a VJ the Doctor has performed at events ranging from underground loft parties to major concert tours with The (Grateful) Dead 2004 and Donna Summer 2005, 2006, 2007.”
From Dimensions:
DOCTOR MOJO | THE CODE IS THE CONTENT
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Mark Alan Johnson aka Doctor Mojo, is a master projectionist, an artist and technician who began his diverse career as a musician and graphic designer with a focus on experimental visual art. In the mid-90’s, utilizing film and photographic slide techniques, Mojo began performing as a live visualist in the emerging NYC electronic music scene at venues such as the (in)famous LimeLight niteclub and legendary underground warehouse space the Lunatarium. Notable early achievements include video director for the 2001 Detroit Electronic Music Festival and the 2nd stage ‘Rave Tent’ on Moby‘s AREA One Tour that same year. The Doctor and his company Mojo Video Tech would go on to produce visuals and mix live on tour with The Dead (2004), Donna Summer (2005-2006), Dangerous Muse (2012-2015), and 311 (2017).
In 2014 MVT became one of the joint caretakers / curators of a 40′ diameter inflatable dome structure know as the Pufferdome. Owned by the Starwood Festival where it returns annually, the dome travels the rest of the year, with a fulldome projection system designed by the caretakers, to various events including the Equinox and Solstice celebrations hosted by visionary artists Alex & Alison Grey’s CoSM.
From November 2015 – October 2017 MVT Inc designed, built and operated A360 Dev Studio, a VR production studio and experiential research facility. Ideally suited for the development and presentation of 360º interactive media, the environment featured 300º of seamless projections and multi-channel audio. During this time Doctor Mojo developed advanced methods for realtime interpolation between the various emerging 360º media formats, enabling novel techniques for the creation of interactive visuals.
The Doctor’s work utilizing generative content within the immersive ecosystem continues thru the current partnership with XIX Collective, founded by Timothy Leung, an architect and installation artist from Hong Kong. XIX is a Multi-User Virtual Interactive Environment (MUVIE) that explores new narrative forms. The installation consists of an acoustically resonant dome, 360º projection system, 7.2 surround sound, sub-bass platform, scent-diffuser and wind-maker.
Doctor Mojo’s most influential work involves realtime generative visuals using GLSL code and specifically the open source Interactive Shader Format developed by Vidvox, makers of VDMX. Since 2015 Mojo has written and shared hundreds of ISFs, both original code and ports of popular shaders from ShaderToy and GLSLSandbox. Code tagged with ‘Mojo Video Tech’ can be found in generators and filters incorporated into the official releases of various VJ softwares including VDMX, Magic Music Visuals, CoGe, Synesthesia, HeavyM and others.
Founded 2005, incorporated 2010, Mojo Video Tech Inc, specializes in large-scale video projections and display systems integration, provides technical consultation and design services to all facets the entertainment technology industry and operates a digital media production studio in Brooklyn, NYC.”
Here are some of his most recent videos from his Facebook page. Keep in mind these videos are designed for live projection, and the ones included here aren’t optimized at all for Youtube or web delivery. If I find any that are, I’ll update this page.
My Memories of Dr. Mojo
Mojo was a kind, thoughtful visual mad scientist. If you were tripping at a party, he was exactly the sort of multi layered twisted genius that you needed to break on through. He was a high-functioning mystic autistic.
For some reason, every projectionist I knew was pretty insane in some way, the old 90s rave stereotype being that they often drank heavily, especially in the old days. Mojo didn’t drink, unless it was liquid LSD.
He inspired many to get into the visual arts. It’s been decades since we really really knew each other and hung out and worked together on events. But I was there at the start of his illustrious career.
Here was his very 90s flyer, from 1999 – possibly his first one:
The largest indoor party we threw was called Alien LSD in a SoHo loft – the complete text is included at the bottom of this page. It was fin de siecle NYC, that was the style then LOL) we also had a Wednesday weekly at Izzy bar in the East Village.
And then there were the all-night outlaw bridge parties with the Devotional Ministry of Trance, where he projected video and brought a nitrous tank with Jamie, who writes for this website. They were seminal times.
He (and Steve-O for a while) went large on the corporate/International event circuit with people like Moby. He was one of us who made it big.
In the early 2010s he went through a very public depression on Facebook, with suicide ideation. He had been overwhelmed with the pressures of life and “making it.” He recovered from that.
A couple of the more interesting projects he was involved in were FractalFest in 2015 (at least per the flyer, not on website) and Dimensions in 2018 in Miami.
He was recently roommates with Mark Lorenz and Charlee. They said he had just bags of belongings in his room, and that he would disappear for hours/days at a time, obsessively manipulating images on a screen full of code. He always rode his bike – there are still tire tracks all over the apartment and hallway. Mojo had gotten into three accidents, two of which sent him to the hospital.
Otherwise, he seemed completely normal – except for his last-minute conspiracy fixation which proved his downfall.
Noelle, his onetime girlfriend, said she saw him two months ago at his installation at “The Keep” and that he seemed the best he had been in years, and that he told her he was doing well – but he was upset she had gotten vaccinated. I heard from friends on social media that he had gotten very conspiratorial about mandates, masks, and vaccines, and that they had to block him.
There has been some debate on Facebook as to whether he was actually vaccinated – even though the chances for a breakthrough infection is 1 in 10,000. Chances are, he wasn’t. And there is a rumour he had a fake vaxx card. But that’s not important right now.
What’s important is that even if you are surrounded by vaccinated people in a blue state, COVID can still track you down and kill you.
Rest in peace, Mojo. It was a long strange trip.
There will a tribute event at House of Yes. October 14th. He might have gotten COVID setting up there, which is pretty lax on vaccination mandates – people often get in with a “wink wink,” so there will actually be a decent chance his spreader will be in attendance.
Mojo in his early days
“I’ll never forget the fun, the madness, the creativity, the hilarious discussions (and ‘disagreements’) we shared, the places we went and shit we saw together with the OG Dorian Orange crew. Even before we actually worked together you were instrumental in helping me and my friends get into live visual design back when I was still in school (who wasn’t most the time compared to Mojo?). The knowledge, the gear, the storage space, the ATTITUDE, all for the low, low price of $50? a gig – LOL (Edward J). Our career paths diverged a while ago, but I remained blown away with where you took your life and thankful for the help and advice you continued to give me whenever I happened to ask (saved my unprepared ass a few times). Really wish I told you that more when I had a chance… One of the realist, most generous, dedicated and hard-working ppl I’ll ever know.
I’ll miss you, Brother. Godspeed.
-Eric K”
Here are many events Mojo helped make in and around 2000; too many to list here
Here is one – our largest indoor event:
July 14 Friday
l Alien l
Jackel Studios in SoHo 443 Broadway 3rd floor (cross street Broome)
10pm-2am – Progressive House
2-4am MachinElf – psy-trance DJ, holy music, brainmachines
4-6am Vadim of SubtleChaos – PsyTrance
Dr. Mojo – guitar-based soundscapes DJ Tortoisehead – funk, trip-hop, ambient Marisa(AlienBlue) – dance/performance Damian Catera – algorithmically processed guitar James Keepnews – league of crafty guitarists Mike Rose – mutant performance systems Catherine Mazer – independent filmmaker Skyline – live drum+bass SOMA – live electronica photon mandala – dynamic slide presentation space pod chill room – couches, pillows, etc. inside lycra structure – brainmachines – pyramid centerpiece w/ dry ice roaming characters – robot/cyborg costumes hallway blacklight environment – mojo fluoro art – reel to reel w/ tape loop alien autopsy performance – mad scientist characters roll stretcher into room and dissect alien made from plastic, tubing, glowing fluids, flashing lights etc. Cost: around $15/No ID needed! Save money; buy tickets online – email $10 at Full details at brainmachines/alienlsd.html web movementNYC/events/mojo.html
very crazy concept party thrown at a gallery in SoHo called Alien. No, you don’t have to be tripping to come, but you should come, as there is a looot of preparation going on for this. It will be a blowout. (i would be doing a festival but the organizers are extremely difficult to work with, which doesn’t portend well IMHO)
The Alien LSD party was a tripped out success. Crowded though. Thanks to all who came.
Public Trancepercipitation Mon, 17 Jul Thanks to all who came and tripped out in dark Soho Friday night. Our League of Spiritual Discovery enjoyed our inAlienable rite to trip. Looks like the WEMFers had the biggest craziest weekend from early reports.
To: Alien l I didn’t have the time or the money to go to any of the festivals this weekend even though I would like to spend more time outdoors. On Friday night I went to Movement’s Alien l party. For some lapse of reason I decided to take I-95 instead of the Hutch. I-95 was hell. I left at 4:45 and arrived at E116 St. at 7:15. I was supposed to meet people in the Lower East Side at 6:00. I called. No answer. So I zipped down Second Avenue to 51st and cut across to Theatre District. After driving around for about a half hour, I found a space at W53rd and Broadway. So I ran down to Mars 2112. For those who don’t know, it’s this touristy theme restaurant that is supposed to look like Mars. There was a huge line, so I approached the young woman behind the concierge. She was wearing this tritely futuristic flight attendant’s uniform. After explaining my situation, she told me in a clipped British accent that I could go right through the “Jet Express Entrance.” It consisted of a metal door on hinges. After winding through several imitation rock tunnels, I luckily found my friends. I had an overpriced Chicken Caesar Salad and a bad martini. I really needed the martini. ago) and the animated series on Fox, perhaps I am a bit biased, but I thought it was excellent. Before I walked in, I had some reservations about the cast. They got an Australian to play Wolverine (sorry Andrei). While I find Halle Berry attractive, in the book, Storm is tall, proud, and arrogant looking. Anyway, despite an apparent shortage of tall African women and burly Canadian actors, they made it work. The film seemed to go by a bit too quickly. Yesterday, I read that they cut out 45 minutes. Still, everything was explained well enough for anyone without any previous two thumbs up. After re-parking my car, and walking around a bit, I arrived at the party sometime after midnight. It was on the 4th floor in a building in Soho. Even though I didn’t see a kitchen, I was under the impression that people lived there. It was hot and crowded with an attractive, albeit sweaty, crowd. There were lots of pretty women with sexy shoes. There were men in suits and women in dresses. There were folks in jeans and t-shirts. There was a woman in tiny metallic-silver shorts, a backless lace top, and platform canary-yellow flip-flops with faux fur straps. She was with a tall shirtless black man wearing gold chains, a cowboy hat, and a feather boa. Somehow, he still didn’t look gay. Speaking of gay, there were topless boys reeking of Vicks kissing each other, and women in sports jerseys wearing shoes that weren’t at all sexy. Even though there weren’t any candy ravers or fluoro freaks, it was a very diverse crowd. I like that. Not all the women were pretty. Dalit was there handing out flyers. I had a slight urge to swack her with a rolled-up newspaper, but fortunately, no such publication was available. As I was entering, people were hauling out equipment. On risers on the end of the room there were guitar amps and drum equipment. Apparently, there was some sort of live music before I got there. I had heard there was an open bar promotion by Skyy Vodka. Too bad the Russians missed it 🙂 There still was a bar, which I presume was selling drinks. There was also a small area with a table and couches curtained off with bubble wrap where people were inhaling mad nitrous dudes with faces scrunched up like trolls, their eyes half-open, sucking on huge balloons. For an Alien l party, it didn’t seem like many people were on acid. All I took were these two “Up Your Gas” herbal energy pills that kept me grooving for most of the night. From the time I arrived until Jeff went on, some guy with bleached-blonde hair was spinning progressive trance. Why do they call it “progressive trance”?? What’s so progressive about it?? They should call it “hackneyed trance” or “emotionally predictable trance” or “derivative techno.” Anyway, most of the crowd was into it. I’m not saying that it can’t be fun music, but let’s not kid ourselves with an ambitious name into thinking it’s somehow edgy. The sound system wasn’t good way too much treble and not enough bass. It sounded very harsh. I decided to wear earplugs. While sitting on a stool, a large projector came crashing down and suddenly landed about an inch from my foot. There was broken glass everywhere. Mojo seemed very upset. I had mixed feelings. On the one hand I felt bad that Mojo lost a piece of expensive equipment, otoh, I was glad I didn’t lose a &*%$ !! toe. Other than that, it was well decorated with odd sculptures and several projections. Although, I didn’t see an alien autopsy, or even the remains of an alien autopsy. Come to think of it, I didn’t see any aliens at all except Jeff’s outfit.
Speaking of Jeff, he went on around 2 AM. He played a very diverse and creative cd set experimental to say the least. It was mostly psytrance, although it wasn’t as psychedelic as I would have expected from Jeff. Still, it was much much better than the set before him. I danced through most of his set, taking occasional breaks to stand in front of the fan. The high point was when Jeff played Hallucinogen’s “l” his hands outstretched, preaching to the crowd.
After Jeff, Vadim started spinning vinyl. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with his set, but I think that had a lot to do with the sound system, and that people kept bumping into the turntables. Psy-trance has more complexity and a wider bandwidth than house or techno it requires a system with breathing room. Unfortunately, the speakers were too tiny, and the amps were wheezing like an asthmatic chain-smoker. At 5 AM I decided to leave while I still had enough energy to transport myself. All in all, it was a good party. With a better PA it would have been a great party. Movement has their own mailing list, and Jeff posts their announcements on his Brainmachines list, so those are two ways you can find out about Movement events that have nothing to do with psy-trance. So how did H.O.T. and WEMF go??
